Special report: In Israel, the music is back

From our special correspondent in Tel Aviv, Dan Yakir:

Due to the war between Israel and the Hamas, the start of the music season in Israel was delayed for two months. On Saturday the chamber music centre at the Israel conservatory of music in Tel Aviv opened its season. In the middle of the Scherzo of Schubert’s Trout Quintet a siren was heard. Dr. Raz Binyamini, the music director, asked the audience to stay seated; after a few minutes the concert resumed.

The Israel Philharmonic is holding its first subscription series after cancelling the first two series. The French conductor Alexandre Bloch has parents and a grandparent living in Israel and the soloist Sharon Kam is an Israeli living abroad. Both were more than happy to come and make music in these difficult times. Both waived their fees.

Under the regulations of Home Front Command only 1,000 people can assemble in one place, so apart from orchestra and staff only 900 people can attend each concert. That means a full house in the orchestra but an empty balcony.

After a virtuosic performance of Weber Clarinet Concerto no. 1 Sharon Kam and the orchestra performed as an encore a moving arrangement of the Israeli song “A Walk to Caesarea” (Eli, Eli) in an arrangement by the conductor.

UPDATE: In Jerusalem last night, Julian Rachlin played the Mendelssohn concerto and conducted Dvorak’s New World Symphony in a live broadcast with the city’s orchestra.